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Transferable Points Explained: Chase, Amex, Citi, Capital One, and Bilt

Not financial advice. Program rules change, so check the official page before you transfer or book. Drafted with AI assistance and reviewed by Kevin.

Transferable points are the most flexible thing in this hobby. Here's what they are and how to think about the five main US programs.

What makes a point "transferable"

A transferable point lives in a bank program but can be converted into a partner's airline miles or hotel points. Once it's converted, it follows that partner's rules, and it can't come back. Amex says it plainly: transfers are final and can't be reversed (Amex).

The five US programs

  • Chase Ultimate Rewards. Transfers require a Sapphire Preferred, Sapphire Reserve, or Ink Business Preferred. Partners include Aer Lingus, Aeroplan, British Airways, Flying Blue, Iberia, JetBlue, Singapore KrisFlyer, Southwest, United, Virgin Atlantic, IHG, Marriott, World of Hyatt, and Wyndham (Chase).
  • Amex Membership Rewards. You link your partner account first, and names must match. The US list runs to 16 airlines (including Aeroplan, ANA, British Airways, Delta, Flying Blue, Singapore, and Virgin Atlantic) and four hotels (Choice, Hilton, Marriott, and Leaders Club), per The Points Guy. Transfers to Delta and JetBlue carry a small excise-tax offset fee.
  • Citi ThankYou. Citi's FAQ lists airlines such as American AAdvantage, Avianca LifeMiles, Cathay Pacific, Emirates, Etihad, EVA, Flying Blue, JetBlue, Qantas, Qatar, Singapore, Thai, Turkish, and Virgin Atlantic, plus hotels like Accor, Choice, Preferred, and Wyndham. Which ones you can use depends on your card (Citi). More in Citi ThankYou transfer partners and how to use Citi points for JAL business class.
  • Capital One. You need at least 1,000 miles to transfer, and most airline partners are 1:1, with a few at lower ratios (Capital One).
  • Bilt. Bilt transfers to airline and hotel partners including World of Hyatt. Transfers can't be reversed. Bilt keeps its current partner list and ratios on its support site, and the list changes, so check it before you plan around a partner.

Ratios and timing

Most transfers are 1:1, but not all. Capital One, for example, lists Emirates, EVA, and Japan Airlines at 2:1.5 and JetBlue at 5:3. Timing varies too: Chase says most transfers post by the next business day but can take up to 7.

Overlapping partners

Several airlines show up in more than one bank's list. Flying Blue, for instance, appears for Chase, Citi, and Capital One. That's useful: if you have points in two programs, you can pool them into the same airline account.

Never transfer speculatively

Points sitting in a bank account keep their options open. Points in an airline account are stuck there. Find the seat, confirm the price and fees, then transfer.

How to choose a program

Start with where you live and where you want to go. Look at which airlines fly that route, which alliance they're in, and which banks transfer to a program that books them. Then pick the card that fits. Write it down in the free Starter Points Tracker so you can see your whole picture.

For a real example of ratios changing, see my guide to the Bilt and Chase Hyatt transfer change.

Sources

All guides